We've all heard the voice of the Inner Critic-that part of us that judges us, shames us, and makes us feel inadequate. "We can't silence the Inner Critic by fighting it or giving in to its demands," explains Dr. Jay Earley. "But there is a way to transform it in to an invaluable ally." With Freedom from Your Inner Critic, Dr. Earley and counselor Bonnie Weiss present a self-therapy approach for uncovering the psychological roots of our self-sabotaging inner voices and restoring our sense of self-worth. Join them to learn about:

.Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy-a groundbreaking approach that makes constructive inner dialogue possible
.The seven varieties of the Inner Critic and their hidden wisdom
.Healing the Criticized Child that is stifled by the Inner Critic
.Awakening the Inner Champion-the antidote to the influence of the Inner Critics
.How our self-motivation and willpower improve when we are free from the Inner Critics

"Self-esteem is our birthright," says Dr. Earley. "And even the most stubborn Inner Critic can be recast as a fierce supporter." Freedom from Your Inner Critic offers a solution to one of our greatest psychological challenges-so we can reclaim our confidence, freedom, and joy in life's journey.

EXCERPT

"The world is nothing but my perception of it. I see only through myself. I hear only through the filter of my story."
~~ Byron Katie

When you feel ashamed, hopeless, inadequate, or just plain awful about yourself, is because your Inner Critic is attacking you. The Inner Critic does this in a variety of ways, but most commonly, it works by hammering you with negative messages about your self-worth. It may criticize your looks, your work habits, your intelligence, the way you care for others, or any number of other things. It may:

- Evaluate and judge your feelings and behavior and sometimes your core self.
- Tell you what you should and shouldn't do.
- Criticize you for not meeting its expectations or the expectations of people who are important to you.
- Doubt you and tell you that you can't be successful.
- Shame you for who you are.
- Make you feel guilty about things you have done.

Most people have a number of self-judging Inner Critic parts. For example, you might have one Critic that attacks you for how you overeat and how much you weigh, and another Critic that tells you that you're lazy and should be working harder.

The Seven Types of Inner Critics

We have identified seven types of Critics:

- The Perfectionist
- The Inner Controller
- The Taskmaster
- The Underminer
- The Destroyer
- The Guilt Tripper
- The Molder

Each type of Critic has a different motivation and strategy, and identifying which Critics are affecting us can be useful.